Queen Camilla has been looking noticeably radiant lately, all thanks to a few clever beauty tricks she’s added to her royal repertoire. From her complexion-enhancing lipstick to her luminous foundation, each has played its part. And now we’ve noticed her blonde hair has had a brightening boost of silver, too.
As the Queen, 79, visited the British Museum yesterday alongside King Charles, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, we couldn’t help but admire her luminous hair. According to the pros, Queen Camilla’s overall blonde shade appears a little lighter, with a few subtle silver highlights that, in turn, lift her entire complexion.
‘Camilla’s lighter hair is a beautiful example of how you can make silver-blonde hair look incredibly luminous and intentional, rather than feeling stark or ageing,’ says Jason Collier, celebrity hairstylist and key opinion leader at Jerome Russell Bblonde.
He explains: ‘Her silver blonde has softness and dimension, with those creamy blonde tones giving the overall colour a healthy, polished finish. It’s bright around the face but still has enough tonal variation to keep it looking natural.’
It’s a technique Jason tells us is called ‘silver blending’. He explains that this involves cleverly placed highlights and lowlights that blend with a blonde base shade, creating a softer, brighter finish.
Not only does it enhance a blonde base shade like Camilla’s, Jason tells us it’s one of the most flattering ways to go grey, thanks to its light-reflecting qualities. He explains: ‘Those lighter pieces around the face can act almost like a highlighter, bringing brightness to the complexion and making the whole face appear more illuminated.
‘Camilla’s colour is a great example because the brightest tones sit through the front and top of the hair, so the eye is naturally drawn upwards.’
Better still, the technique can even make finer strands appear thicker. ‘It’s also much more dimensional than a single, flat colour, which instantly makes the hair look fuller,’ says Jason.
It’s all about balance. ‘If you want to recreate Camilla’s look, ask your colourist about silver or grey blending with brighter face-framing pieces, rather than asking to go completely silver. Your colourist can assess your natural grey and decide where lighter or darker pieces will give you the most flattering dimension,’ says Jason.
For that glossy, bright finish, he tells us that a toner is key. ‘A toner can make a huge difference to the overall result. Ask whether a cool, pearly or icy toner would work with your particular shade of grey to refine the colour and enhance its brightness. The aim is to find the right tonal balance for your complexion and natural colouring.’
Not only will a toner give you that extra boost of brightness, but it will also help to neutralise any pesky brassy tones. You can keep on top of this at home, too. Here, Jason recommends the Jerome Russell Bblonde’s Maximum Toner in Ice Blonde, which will only set you back a fiver.
Jerome Russell Bblonde Maximum Blonde Toner
Consider Camilla’s look as proof that embracing silver can be anything but dull.
